- This 1970 Porsche 911 Targa was parked on the same spot for 31 years.
- It was buried in pine cones, with the interior left exposed to the elements.
- The new owner plans to restore it and get it back on the road soon.
Porsche often likes to boast that more than 70 percent of its cars are still on the road, but this particular 911 Targa wasn’t among them. Abandoned for over three decades, the classic sports car was recently unearthed in Idaho, left to decay under layers of pine cones and time.
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Its eventual rescuer, Markos Marzouca, told CarScoops that the neglected Targa had been sitting just a stone’s throw from his office for 31 years.
Over that time, plenty of people tried to buy it, but none managed to close the deal. “I got lucky and asked on the right day,” Marzouca admitted.
How Bad Could It Be?
When Marzouca finally took possession, he found the 1970 Porsche half-buried beneath pine needles, with squirrels having turned the car into their personal food storage vault.
Markos Marzouca
That didn’t discourage Markos who was determined to save it. After being towed away and cleaned, the old Porsche proved to be in much better condition than expected, and the restoration project began.
The 1970 Porsche 911 Targa might not have been stored in ideal conditions, but it certainly led a busy life. Originally sold through Vasek Polak in California, its first owner drove it extensively throughout the western United States and into Canada, even taking it on road trips over Trail Creek Summit.
In total, it accumulated 101,000 miles (162,500 km), and remarkably, it still carries its original 2.0-liter flat-six engine.
Reawakening the Flat-Six
Marzouca plans to restore the car in stages, aiming for what he calls a “ratty patina car with solid underpinnings and a dialed-in drivetrain.” Despite all the work needed, he hopes to have it in working condition by New Year’s.
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The first task involved replacing the rusty suspension plate panels at the front, before moving on to the rear-mounted 2.0-liter flat-six engine. Surprisingly, the motor still turns by the crank but the linkage is frozen.
The project is a reminder of how even the most forgotten machines can be coaxed back to life with patience and determination. We’ll be keeping an eye on its progress, but for now, you can see the Targa as it stands, fresh from its first wash in more than three decades.
Introduced in 1965, the 911 Targa bridged the gap between the open-air Cabriolet and the fixed-roof Coupe, offering both safety and style through its distinctive stainless steel roll bar and removable roof panels. The format has remained a fixture of the 911 lineup ever since.
Our thanks to Markos Marzouca for sharing his find and story.
Markos Marzouca
